Debutante Camellia Plant
Debutante camellia is a great garden selection. Camellias do well in warm winter areas, but given a sheltered location, this plant survives temperatures as low as 10 degrees F. People love this camellia for its glossy green foliage and its numerous peony-shaped light pink flowers. Debutante blooms in the cooler months in the South, and in spring in colder climates. This shrub is relatively maintenance-free and fits in to many different types of landscapes. Does this Spark an idea?
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Variety/Characteristics
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Debutante is a camellia japonica, which is the most widely grown type of camellia. Originally from Asia, this shrub features clean, deep green leaves, controlled, well shaped growth and medium to large pink flowers. The blooms are about 3 1/2 inches wide and have open, loose petals with a ruffled center. The flowers are called peony-types, and they look romantic and informal.
Debutante is a medium sized shrub. It will grow to about 5 feet in 10 years time. This plant is an old favorite. Established gardens feature 50-year-old bushes covered in a confection of pastel blooms in spring.
Sun Exposure
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Location under tall trees Camellia japonica grows best in semi-shady areas. Plants survive full sun when they are mature, but young plants need some shade. Debutante thrives under tall trees, in dappled sunshine. Shade is important for light pink and white flowering camellias. The flowers stand out in darker areas, and the delicate blossoms don't get burned or shriveled from intense heat or sunlight.
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Soil
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Like all japonica camellias, debutante needs humus-rich, quick draining soil. Plant debutante in pure peat moss, or peat moss mixed with shredded wood bark. Camellias like acid soil, so where soils are alkaline, fertilize lightly with an acid-blend fertilizer after the plants have finished blooming.
When you plant debutante, make sure that the base of the plant is not covered with soil; a camellia needs to have the top of its root ball (the underground part of the plant) poking up just above the ground.
Watering
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Garden irrigation options Water your debutante camellia often to keep it moist, but not continuously soaked. Excellent drainage is essential for all camellias. Left in standing water, debutante's roots will rot, and the plant will eventually die.
Make sure you water the plant often when flower buds are forming. The buds will fall off if the plant gets dry. Water well when the plant is blooming; your flowers will last longer and look better.
Garden Uses
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Debutant is great behind smaller plants in a semi-shaded border. Its deep green foliage is a good backdrop for light colors. Try planting camellias along with a ground cover of mondo grass, or lily turf, for an interesting contrast in texture.
Diseases
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Debutante is a healthy, vigorous camellia. Give it good drainage, some shade and adequate water and it should thrive. Debutante will shed lots of leaves if it gets too much fertilizer.
Petal blight is a potential problem for debutante. It is a fungus which turns flower-buds and blossoms brown. The flowers rot and fall off of the plant. To avoid petal blight, pick up any fallen blooms immediately. Clean the area around the plant when it is blooming.
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References
Resources
- Photo Credit Camélia image by Dominique LUZY from Fotolia.com Trees with sunlight image by PinkSkyPhotos from Fotolia.com watering tools image by palms from Fotolia.com
